This Year It's the Bow and Arrow Slinging Outrageous Fortune Hollywood's Way

The trusty lightsaber and .44 Magnum have gone the way of the slingshot. With Katniss Everdeen and Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton leading the charge, this year's PG-13 death-instrument of choice is making the box office quiver.

Not since Rambo (or Gizmo) has the bow and arrow seen such a resurgence. Is an arrow through the heart more romantic than a bullet in the head? Does the weapon's lack of precision add more skill to the hunt or is Hollywood simply looking for a softer, gentler, more kid-friendly approach to doing away with teenagers?

With less than half-a-year gone we've already witnessed dozens of examples of archery-related mayhem and Pixar promise another salvo on June 22.

For those keeping score at home, here are the 2012 entrants in the arbalest derby.

In spite of Tilda Swinton's stellar performance as a teenage mass murderer's mom, We Need to Talk About Kevin was shunned by Academy voters and the paying public alike. Perhaps it had something to do with this being the only R-rated picture in the bunch or that Kevin's universe was populated by credible characters, not a bunch of comic book clones endowed with one trait on which to form a character.